Wild Dog Press
Mosaic: Poems from Travels in Italy by Cindy Ellen Hill
A mosaic is a relationship between parts and whole. Mosaic: Poetry from Travels in Italy is a collection of images, emotions, and impressions of travels through an Italy that lies midway between the must-see tourist attractions and the deep familiarity of a long-time resident. Looking at roadside shrines, flea markets, and fabric stores along with artwork, catacombs, and limoncello, the poems demonstrate a respectful yet wary eye, a sense of being utterly enchanted while still over-packing too much American cynicism. The pieces primarily adopt the poetic forms of Italy—variations on sonnets and terza rima—and unabashedly demonstrate a beginner’s attempts to learn the Italian language.
Praise for Mosaic
"Whether the subject is catacombs, cobblestones, or the Colosseum, Hill’s poetry is elegant and simultaneously earthy, fluid but solidly in contact with the peoples, cultures, and landscapes of the Italy she guides us through, and as inviting as a steaming cup of espresso in a hidden little cafe."
Matthew Dickerson
The Voices of Rivers: Reflections on Places Wild and Almost Wild
"Mosaic is a rich and soaring journey into the self. I found myself continually surprised and uplifted. Hill’s musical language is energized by assurance and wit. There are technical flourishes and dazzling asides. Each stop across Italy’s complex past and vibrant present is an occasion for reflection and renewal. What better way to travel?"
Ray Hudson
Moments Rightly Placed: An Aleutian Memoir
"Cindy Hill has this way of making you see. And feel. Like you have just arrived in Italy. And Rome is steaming from a recent summer shower. Thunder tumbles out of her poetry. And compassion. And understanding. And wit. No boring words or observations here! She writes the whole grand panorama of Roman life, from catacombs to cappuccino, from the Tiber’s Tiger Supermarket to the Pantheon; then she whisks us north to the Piedmonte, to the southern slopes of the Alps, where she speaks to millennia-old bridges and roadside statues (“Oh, blessed Madonna of the hairpin turn, save us…!” she pleads). Such beautiful language and constantly surprising thoughts! (“Christ stopped at Eboli, but I went on…” she writes). I can’t wait to go on her next trip."
Dan Close
The Glory of the Kings
About the Author
Cindy Ellen Hill lives, writes, gardens, fences, and plays fiddle in Vermont, but leaves her heart with her daughter and granddaughter in Piedmonte, Italy. She has previously published two sonnet chapbooks: Wild Earth (Antrim House Press, 2022) and Elegy for the Trees (Kelsay Books 2023). Her full-length poetry collection Love in a Time of Climate Change is available from Finishing Line Press.
